Book Review: Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer by Patrick French

 

Francis Younghusband was one of the imperialists and adventures who spent a lot of time in united India. In 1903 he invaded Tibet through a brutal full-scale military invasion. Later in life he became a mystic thinker. Younghusband played a very important role in the ‘Great Game’, an intense political struggle between British India and Tsarist Russia. Despite being a classic Edwardian, in the post-World War era he led the way in religious, philosophical and sexual free-thinking. In this book Patrick French unearths Francis Younghusband’s own letters, papers and original documents. French weaves fine travel writing into historical biography, celebrating the imperial adventure.

I have covered some of the interesting points in this book. Younghusband was born in Murree, which is now part of Pakistan. His father was a Major-General in the Royal Artillery. When Younghusband was a Second Lieutenant, he had five servants in India. Robert Shaw was a relative of Francis Younghusband. Francis presented himself as a flawless hero (p. 74). When Grombchevesky and Younghusband met in late nineteenth century, they communicated in French. Younghusband wanted to tame the ruler of Hunza by invading Hunza, which he did in 1891. The Russians had already gained permission to station a council at Kashgar in 1882.

Younghusband moved to Giligt for his exams. He also mentions about the bisexuality of the Mehtar of Chitral. Younghusband believed that the races of Africa and Asia were inferior. He met Curzon, Gandhi and many other people. In 1906 he became the British Resident in Kashmir. Younghusband befriends Bertrand Russell. Russel praises Younghusband. According to Russell the intellectual life at Harvard was very poor. Russell was also expelled from Cambridge. According to the author of this book ‘Russell allowed his crusading ambition to trample on a personal relationship’ (p. 306).

Grombchevesky wrote a letter to Younghusband saying that he was dying and wanted Younghusband to publish his book Kashgar. Younghusband did not. The reasons remain unknown. Younghusband’s views changed at a later stage in his life. Younghusband got honorary doctorate degrees from Edinburgh, Bristol and Cambridge universities.

Dogs and Indian were barred from walking in the Mall at Shimla till 1918. During Lord Minto’s time in India Brown trout eggs were brought to Kahsmir. This book also covers the details of the invasion of Tibet. Curzon wanted the invasion of Tibet and Younghusband acted as Curzon’s henchmen.

I think this book is very interesting for people who want to understand about the professional and personal lives of the colonial officers who lived in India.

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Book Review: British Relations in Sindh (1799-1843): An Anatomy of Imperialism by Robert A. Huttenback (Introduction by Mathhew A. Cook)

 

This book is based on seven chapters. Chapter one covers the French threat, second chapters reflect on the controversy surrounding Cutch (Kutch), third describes the expansion of the British in the region. Chapter four focuses on the Afghan crises from 1834 to 1838. The next chapter gives details about Ellenborough, Napier and the Amirs of Sind. Chapter six is about the annexation of Sind and the repercussions of annexation. Chapter seven is the final chapter which states the conclusion of the book.

The East India company maintained factories in Sindh from 1635 to 1662 and from 1758 to 1775. In the 16th century the Balochs moved to Sindh from the West hills of Sind to become the governing class of the province. In the last years of the eighteenth century the British were well aware of the extension of the French hegemony across Europe. The British became alarmed. As a defense the British wanted to take control of Sindh as it was a logical invasion route (p. 1). Cutch became a British dependency after the treaties of 1816 and 1819. British activity in Sind after the treaty of 1834 was directed toward attainment of three objectives: the conducting of a full survey of the Indus, the encouragement of increased commerce on the river, and the establishment of a residency in Sind. These goals were all achieved within the next four years with the indirect aid of Ranjit Sind (p. 29).

Ranjit Singh could only expand in the direction of Sind, and his efficient army commanded by French officers remained an implicit threat to British influence in the area (p. 31). In 1818 he captured Multan and in 1823. In 1835 Ranjit Singh moved against the Mazari tribe of Rojhan (headed by their chief Behram Khan).

Huttenback states that British contacts with Sind were initially limited to trading establishments and then to treaties which had as their role purpose the protection of India from invasion first by France and later by Russia through the Indus valley. When these fears waned British interest in Sindh faded. By 1830 British interest in Sindh increased. They wanted commerce. As per the author the British did not want trade with Sind, in fact they wanted trade with the interior of Asia where the Russian was already present. Sind was assumed to be a buffer against Russia and a major line of communication.

The treaties of 1832, 1834, and 1838-1839 changed the amirs from the rulers of an independent nation to princes of a client state (p. 110). The attitude of the British officers varied from individual to individual, but it was evident to some degree in virtually every officer who acted on behalf of the company on the subcontinent.

Huttenback’s study provides an insight to the complexities of nineteenth-century British imperialism when the British empire was still expanding.

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